Hibs teenager shines in cakewalk cup victory - but Elie Youan brings moment of concern

They are now in pole position to top Group C of the Premier Sports Cup and progress to the last 16 of the competition. At the halfway stage of the pool phase, Hibs are three points clear of the Spiders. They face Kelty Hearts away on Saturday before concluding at home to Peterhead the following weekend.

In this form, Hibs shouldn't make heavy weather of such assignments, even if in the past they have fallen at the first League Cup hurdle. Callum Davidson's Queen's Park are the second seeds in this group - but they were a distant second best in the contest. The Glasgow club, visiting Easter Road for the first time since 1958, could have no complaints over the outcome.

Last weekend's 5-0 win against Elgin City set Hibs up nicely for their maiden match in Leith on a pleasant summer's evening. Gray has made three new summer signings so far and all started this match. Goalkeeper Josef Bursik had very little to do, and centre-halves Warren O'Hora and Marvin Ekpiteta will have far sterner examinations that the one lone Spiders striker Zak Rudden presented them.

O'Hora's biggest contribution was at the other end of the pitch. The 25-year-old Irishman opened the scoring on 15 minutes when Joe Newell's corner found him unmarked in the six-yard box. His header hit the inside of the bar and landed just over line.

From then on, Queen's Park were up against it. Hibs manipulated the ball well and hemmed the visitors in. The second goal arrived on 19 minutes. Josh Campbell clipped the ball to the unmarked Martin Boyle in the box and his bicycle kick, while spectacular, really ought to have been saved by Calum Ferrie. Instead, the keeper shovelled the ball into the corner of his net.

Campbell has been given more responsibility in the attacking midfield role of a 4-2-3-1 formation and his neat through-ball sent Molotnikov in on goal. The 18-year-old, who played well on left wing, showed good composure to steer the ball beyond Ferrie in first-half stoppage time. Boyle was named man of the match, but Molotnikov’s performance was noteworthy for one so young.

Hibs kept their foot to the floor after the break. Dylan Vente missed two very presentable headers as they chased a fourth goal. Then a raft of changes from the bench came, the most eyecatching being the return of Elie Youan, who missed the Borough Briggs trip due to illness and has been linked with a move back to his homeland France.

Youan linked well with fellow sub Dylan Levitt on 72 minutes to create Hibs' fourth goal, the Welshman curling home via the post after being teed up by the forward. The Frenchman was a bag of tricks and in the mood against the now ragged visitors, smacking the post himself with an effort from range.

Boyle added the fifth on 77 minutes, drilling low under Ferrie. Queen's Park desperately needed the full-time whistle, but managed to stop the bleeding and even bag a goal deep into time added-on through Jack Turner. Gray will have been more concerned, however, by the sight of Youan limping off after a collision with Ferrie moments earlier.